subscribe

Pages

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Ok, so a few weeks ago when I said I found purse and shoe cakes a little boring, what I *meant* was I'd only find them boring until enough of you wrote in demanding that I feature purse and shoe cakes. Um. Yeah. That's it. ;)

Wow! I was surprised and pleased to see that you have featured some cookies today (Rosey's) amongst the cakes. But who can blame you, she does make some of the most gorgeous cookies on flickr.http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosey_sugar_palace/3760543990/

I'll admit, I'm not girly enough to ever request a shoe or purse cake, and I'd probably roll my eyes if I ever had a friend who wanted one, too. BUT, these were really well done! The green one looked almost like you could walk off with it.

BOOORING....No you were right the first time around the purse and shoe cakes are VERY, VERY BORING. I think I lost my eyes in the back of my head when I saw the Juicy purse. But the Chanel shoe cake was beautiful.

Beautiful but not very interesting. These show some incredible skill. Who wants to eat a purse? Or shoe? I'd almost rather eat one of these anatomically correct medical cakes. Seeing some wrecky ones would be most entertaining, though.

and they're useless. who wants to eat a shoe? i mean, there have been times where i've said "i'd rather chew on a shoe" but that doesn't mean i seriously want to eat a shoe...someone puts their FEET into them. yuck!

and purses...it's like ugh. sorry. i miss your fun and witty banter about cake and this week even YOU were speechless...

What's with the 'boring' comments? I love these. Anything that makes me stop and say 'wait, that's CAKE?' is good in my book. And honestly I think a lot of those are cuter than the real thing. I love Sunday Sweets.

I love your site! Everything about it,just wonderful! Wish I was that talented! However, my talent only lies in the EATING of the cakes...HAHA! I do want to out the black purse at the top of the post is "but not cake ,it's burfee(sweetmeat) molded and covered with fondant." The quote is from the baker's flickr page. Thanks for an entertaining blog!

I'm not a fashonista type girl but I think that some of these are really impressive, especially how realistic the detailing is. I think declaring them 'boring' and 'useless' is rather silly and rude. At the end of the day, they are cake, their 'use' is to look pretty and then be eaten. As for whether I'd like to eat a shoe or a purse, I don't think its any worse than eating a cartoon animal, a book or any of the other designs used for sculpted cakes.

However, despite liking the cakes, I would say to Jen, not to bow to pressure if her heart's not in it. I missed the commentary about techniques etc that normally comes with Sunday Sweets.

I'm in full agreement with the ones who wouldn't ever request a purse or shoe cake, but the workmanship and artistry of these cakes is absolutely mindblowing. I'm sure that whomever actually DID order them was over the moon when they saw their fabulous cake.

Play nice, folks...the people who would order handbag or shoe cakes don't understand why you'd want Star Trek or The Princess Bride cakes, either.

WV: ingeaw. I am ingeaw of how amazing these cakes look, even if I wouldn't order them

Are you sure that first one is cake? I've never seen a cake that was so realistic. They are all fantastic but that one doesn't look like cake. I'm shocked and appalled by how rude people are being in the comments today. I'm not into a lot of the sci-fi stuff you feauture but I certainly don't consider any of the beautiful cakes I see on here as boring. Thank you for the lovely Sunday Sweets as always.

I have to agree with your original conclusion--shoe and purse cakes are inherently boring. Don't get me wrong; these all show incredible skill on the parts of the decorators, and they're gorgeously decorated, but I'm just bored by shoes and purses in general, so seeing them in cake form doesn't do much for me. Some of the shoebox ones are kind of cute, but I think I mostly like them because it's obvious there's a good amount of cake in them. And I like the shoe cookies, just because they're more like an illustration than a gumpaste replica (and how are you supposed to eat a wafery little stiletto shoe anyway?).

Also, that Gucci shoe looks like a medieval torture device. Just sayin'.

I would totes (haha totes) be into seeing a post devoted to purse and shoe wrecks, though!

Those are all lovely! I have to say I am not really sure why well made shoe and purse cakes are any less interesting than say, oh, a cake made to look like a pile of Harry Potter books, for example? Maybe it is because I like shoes and purses as much as I like Harry Potter, though. But I am generally thrilled to look at any well made/decorated cake, regardless of what it is depicting.

I also have to admit that I am one of those women who would love a purse or shoe cake, and I most definitely love to eat cake. ;-)

Hey, I'll take a purse cake over those freaky baby (doll) shower cakes any day, night, hour, year, well, you get the picture! These purse cakes are so exquisitely made, I have difficulty telling them from the real thing! Shoes, well, that's a different story. Any time I think of shoes, PAIN comes to mind and I don't mean a toothache!

Come on, people. Sunday Sweets is a chance to see how really, really talented people can execute incredible cakes. It doesn't matter if it is a shoe or the cast of "Lost" or a pile of books. The Sweets are there to admire the artistic talents of the decorators.

Personally, I find the pile of books boring. I would never wear or carry any of these shoes or purses, but you have to admire the work that went into making them. I'd love to know how that red shoe was made.

Well, call me boring. I adore every last one of those cakes (and cookies).

And I just don't get why so many people would be snarky about these. Their comments seem akin to "Fondant. Hate it." C'mon, people, they might not be your style, but tell me a stiletto isn't a lot tougher - thus respect-worthy - to craft than a book. Thanks for the variety. There are plenty of us out there who are impressed by anything and everything that takes this much talent.

I think our boredom with the post reflects the boredom of the writer. This is why we shouldn't ask Jen to write on things she doesn't want to. This blog is all about Jen's (and sometimes John's) writing, not the cakes or their subjects.

Ooo, these are gorgeous. I want the black purse, the green purse, the red stiletto, and the polka-dot heels! Although it does feel a bit odd to go shoe shopping on a cake web-site :)

Gorgeously made, unbelievable talent to pull of some of those details. And as for "creativity" of the design, the way I see it is that it's no different than pointing to a cartoon character/book/sport/etc and asking a bakery to make it. Artistry is artistry, regardless of subject. But it is your blog, so don't feel pressured to post something you're not in to at all (although clearly you do even that well!).

I do agree with some that I'd looove to snicker at some purse/shoe wrecks ;) "When bad things happen to sexy shoes"

And, if you're taking requests... any chance that you could find sunday sweets candidates that "regular" people could afford? While some of us can order cakes like these for a major occasion (or even minor ones), I'd love to see what creative bakers come up with for those with tighter budgets.

I think what made them boring was the lack of witty comments! I love shoes and purses, but I would never ask for a cake that looked like either one. The cakes were very well done, but really not my thing.

Wow, some serious skill on display here. The green purse is amazing! The itty bitty stitchwork, the buckles, the way the fabric drapes and folds makes it look very realistic.Love that these purses and shoes aren't the same old pics posted all over lately.

As many have said, these cakes display lots of skill but are not very interesting, otherwise. And your lack of commentary seemed to reflect your own lack of enthusiasm. Don't give in to pressure. Stick to the bizarre, geeky and/or ridiculously cute material that's more you.

I don't get how anyone could find them boring. The detail on them is terrific. I wouldn't necessarily would want to eat one, any more than I would want any other novelty cake. But I can sure admire the effort that went into them.

I don't understand *why* shoes/purse cakes are boring. Is it because it's too "easy" of a theme? But you all admit that they all are excellently done and show skill. Is it because shoes and purses *are* boring (especially as someone said, concentrating simply on brands)? Then that's just a matter of personal tastes, and this blog features lots of different areas.

I feel like there is some secret in the cake industry that I'm not getting.... I just don't understand *why*. To me they are pretty cakes just as any other (like books, like someone else said, which is also potentially an "easier" theme than others...).

I also like the fact that you can actually see there is a lot of cake to be had with them! (Unlike, say, some of the Lost cakes, where I wondered if there really would be anything for anyone to eat at the end of the day... *sigh). I don't know anything about purses or shoes or brands, but these cakes are interesting to me, because it they do show skill that I can't comprehend! Now that's interesting!

I'm going to go on a rant here but bear with me. I think this post addresses as psychological issue between the so-called "elite frumpy geek" mind-set on the internet. I am curious as to why those of you who believe and identify yourself with geek culture believe, for some inexplicable reason, that this is not compatible with having any interest in fashion, style, or popular culture in general. Unless you see it as "cute."

Why on earth would anyone claim these cakes are boring? They're more creative than half the "sunday sweets" I've seen on this site. These purse/shoe cakes are works of art in their own right. The skill alone which was involved in their creation has to invoke a great deal of respect for the creators. Just because fashion isn't your cup of tea, don't slag off someone who's poured their time and talent into a masterpiece which you then dismiss because of personal issues.

I've noticed that people who make comments like this this tend to wear oversized baggy sweaters, t-shirts which don't fit, jeans, and tend to have very low self esteem although they try and disguise with what they see as humor, being self-deprecating and calling anything to do with high fashion, trends, or anything popular at the moment "boring." Or "tacky." Or "stupid." These are code words which reveal discomfort with fashion because it is a challenge to self-esteem. If you're not personally threatened by an issue, you have no reason to insult it, especially when the cakes displayed here are art in its purist form. I don't care if it's art in the form of shoes or art in the form of slugs. If it's done well it's art, pure and simple. And not "boring."

Art takes many forms and can break many boundaries and this is true of fashion as well, which is an undeniable form of art. One of the first feminists of our age was Coco Chanel who dared to raise the feminist flag in the name of fashion and demand that women be allowed to wear pants, albeit fashionable pants, not the loose fitting jeans and baggy sweaters so many geek girls think they need to wear nowdays because they are uncomfortable with their bodies.

I am a self professed geek who reads such websites as XKCD.com, who is close friends with several biologists and a couple of PH.Ds at the local university. I have a high IQ and yet I am also facinated by fashion and not ashamed to admit it. I dress stylishly. Fashion is an area of art. It effects the visual arts in many different forms, such as the current trends in painting, sculpture, etc.) To ignore it because it makes you uncomfortable or because you claim to find it boring- or because, as I suspect, it makes some people feel subconsciously insecure, is to ignore a great deal of life. If you decide that because you cannot play the fashion game, you call it stupid or boring. But it is only you shutting yourself out of it.

And geek girls, who are interested in fashion AND being brainy- let me give you a secret. They are the ones who get ahead because they have brains and are not satisfied to dress like they think less of ourselves. There is nothing wrong with being both brainy AND stylish. Makeup, high heels, and jewelry are not things which are going to degrade you as anti-feminist, or not smart. They are going to elevate your own self-esteem and make people around you take notice of your brains when you can show you are both intelligent as well as attractive. Smart and beautiful are not mutually exlcusive.

cool! I finally made the blog I am so excited! the thing about my shoe birthday cakes was not only did they look awesome but they tasted too good to be true. (one was red velvet the other italian lemon sponge... mmmmm) and yes I own a pair of shoes that look exactly like the one in the cake/picture!

While these cakes are definitely amazing, I find shoe and purse cakes kind of boring, too. Which is weird, because I totally love actual shoes and purses. Maybe it's because I can't wear cake (not for lack of trying).

I also have to say: I consider myself geeky AND a fashionista; I have no problem consoling those two elements of my personality. And I STILL think shoe and purse cakes are dull. I'm not blasting the cakes or people who like them. I'm just saying this site usually features cakes that are more visually stimulating than edible handbags.

sheesh! Tough crowd! Yeah, I'd never ask for a shoe or cake purse either (<--OK, had to leave that mistake, as soon as I realized it made me giggle) but they're still incredible in that 'my idea of making a really nice cake is hoping I manage to spread the frosting smoothly and not run out on the sides' way, while someone else here makes a realistic purse. If the green one was a real purse I'd buy it :) (unfortunately I imagine my keys would get lost in a cake!)

Agree with Lily - everyone should be allowed to express their respectful opinion (ie. the workmanship is beautiful but I find the subject matter boring). In fact, I didn't think any of the "these cakes are boring" comments were disrespectful in any way. No need to be all up in arms about it or insult the intelligence/self-esteem of people for whom shoes and purses are not stimulating!

I also agree that the cakes are beautiful, although not my cup of tea.

Oh my gosh! Those are amazing! I surfed in via a link to your blog that a friend gave me in a comment on my latest post. I was at a party and the birthday girl has a shoe fetish. A cake with stilettos was made for her! Amazing.

Search This Blog

Wreck the Halls

NEW! Pre-Order Today!

Buy the Book

Buy the NYT Bestseller

What's a Wreck?

What's a Wreck?

A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.

order

Where's the book?

We don’t have any copies of Cake Wrecks for sale here, autographed or otherwise. We decided the shipping and handling costs would be too high to make it worth your while. So instead, buy your copies locally or online and then order personalized bookplates: it’s cheaper, easier, and I think even looks a bit nicer.

Ordering Info

Payments must be made through Paypal, which accepts all major credit cards. Sorry, but that means no checks or MOs or barter-based chickens.

We ship everything first class USPS, and will do our best to have your package in the mail within 2 days of your order.